Lady GaGa

Valentine’s Day Playlist: Cycle of Love- Creeper Status

Posted on by Amanda

Sometimes the path of love takes a sharp left turn and you end up with someone who you thought was harmless but they really aren’t. Perhaps they call or message you incessantly. Maybe they just give off a weird vibe around you. Or, you might have a full on stalker. Chances are they might be listening to these songs. And let’s face it, we’ve all been creepers on Facebook. No one is immune to some mild stalking. We still love you though.

Creeper

Local Music – Beware – The Silent Comedy
The Silent Comedy boys warned you. They told you to beware. I mean, you might find yourself creeping in your lovers lair. Do they know who you are though?
Top 40 – Paparazzi – Lady Gaga

The paparazzi are a scary people. Even scarier when Lady Gaga says she will be a paparazzi until you love her back. True creeper status.

Top 40 – Every Breath You Take – The Police

The reason we have two top forty picks is because we couldn’t decide.  “Every Breath You Take” being the theme song for stalkers the world over, was essential.  Also, we were scarred that Sting might be watching us and take revenge if he didn’t make the list.

Alternative Radio – I Will Possess Your Heart – Death Cab for Cutie

While I appreciate the idea of this song, it pushes past unrequited love into that area of creepiness. When I think of someone possessing my heart, my mind jumps to the idea of a serial killer who just wanted my heart. But hey, thats just me and I watch a lot of crime tv.

Soundtrack – Hellfire – The Hunchback of Notre Dame

If you are a young woman, there is nothing creeper than an (unattractive) older man perving on you.  This is taken to a whole new level when that pervy old man is gonna kill your whole family if you don’t succumb to him. What’s a girl to do?

Misc – Do You Love Me – Nick Cave

What isn’t creepy about Nick Cave? I mean, he’s a creeper, through and through, but I love him just the same.  It’s mostly the way he asks the listener, “Do You Love Me?” that sends chills running up and down my spine.

You’re not a creeper or you’re trying to get over it? Good for you! Just sit there on all that love. Stay tuned!

Musical Tastes (On a Date)

Posted on by Amanda

Every once in awhile, I go cruising through the interwebs all day and happen upon something rather golden. This time, I was going perusing through a particular site I like to visit on occasion called The Frisky (I have my girly moments, alright?) and came across this article about musical tastes on a date. Well, it wasn’t so much an article as a list from another site called How About We… and includes bands like Nirvana, The Ramones, The Pixies, Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, Best Coast, Tool, Oasis, Prince, The Strokes and the like.

I’ve pulled some rather choice excerpts but you can view the full list here and part 2 here

 

David Bowie: You’re selective, but slutty.

The Arcade Fire: You spend the first third of relationship in a romantic frenzy and the last two trying to justify it.

AC/DC: If you’re a woman, you’re the kind of person who lets a guy move in with you after three dates because he’s temporarily homeless. If you’re a guy, you’re temporarily homeless.

LCD Soundsystem: You’re not the type to let your strong sense of irony ruin your good time.

Belle and Sebastian: If you hook up, it’s gonna get weird.

R.E.M.: You’ve got a big heart.

The Mountain Goats: You’re very serious about your feelings.

Van Morrison: You’re a romantic. Possibly with a slight drinking problem.

Nirvana: You’re angry and hurt.

Radiohead: You’re angry and hurt. But you’re open to getting some professional help.

Bob Dylan: You’re an asshole, but you don’t know it.

The Clash: You’re willing to work for it, but you’re kind of pissed that you have to.

The Cure: You fall in love WAY too easily.

Best Coast: You fall in love way too easily, but only for, like, a week.

Guns N Roses: You’re going to have to sex in the bathroom and regret it.

Joan Jett: You’re going to have sex in the bathroom and not regret it.

Leonard Cohen: You’re the kind of person that people get obsessed with for years. Too bad you’re too depressed to appreciate it.

Depeche Mode: You’re screwed up, but you know it, which actually does help.

Gogol Bordello: You sweat a lot and you have a nice smile.

Coldplay: Missionary position only. But lots of kissing and eye contact.

Paul Simon: You’re sincerely insightful about your relationship issues, but in the end you decide that it’s not your fault.

Green Day: You get upset over nothing all the time, but bounce back quickly.

Prince: You’re a little weird, but you make up for it by being a total sex machine.

U2: You’re very loving, but prone to fits of irritating self-righteousness.

Lady Gaga: You’re sort of obnoxious, but people can’t help but like you.

I can’t really pick just one from the lists. I have some R.E.M. with some Van Morrison and Depeche Mode thrown in. What about you?

Live Concert Streaming: The End of The Show or A Great New Beginning?

Posted on by Kristen

Okay, I was skeptical of this concept when it first came out. Why would I want to watch a show online when I could go out and see one live? I still feel that what I love most about the live performance simply cannot come across through a video camera. I also feel that having a show streaming for all to see really takes something away from the people lucky enough to be there. But as I sit here giddy in my office chair watching my fave Chicago rockers, Empires, stream a performance live on www.audiotreemusic.com, I realize that I am slowly becoming a convert to these computer concerts.

Watching Empires rock out in a studio actually marks the third time I’ve sat in front of my computer to hear “live” music just in the past week or so. For the past several Sundays fellow Philly to LA transplant, George Stanford has broadcast live from his home, playing requests, chatting with anyone who comes into the chat room or just…talking. Also last week 2/3rds of TFDI, Matt Duke and Tony Lucca, did some video hobnobbing mixed with a few live tunes (again, mostly requests).

What I like about the current state of live music streaming is that is has evolved beyond a simple transmission of a concert. I’m watching Empires performing in a studio, something that would be nearly impossible in any other circumstance. I find myself excited to hear the band’s answers to questions ranging from the typical (what album has inspired you), the more interesting (describe being out on the road in two words), to the absurd (what color and shape would you be). I would be far less titillated by a previously recorded video, similar in nature. With the live stream, I feel an energy akin to watching a sporting event. I find myself anxious. What song will they play next? How silly will the next question be? How will everyone respond??

The unedited band interaction is also something that has previously been unique to a live concert experience. One of the reasons I love acts like TFDI, almost as much as the music itself, is the interaction between the artists. Seeing Tony and Matt’s playful banter as they respond to questions and play tunes captures an element of a live show that you don’t often get in a recording. The immediate fan to musician contact is also unique and exciting. Even at a live show you’re not going to get a hello from Tony’s adorable daughter, Sparrow, or Matt’s equally adorable, visually challenged cat. The chat service also connects fans from all over as they debate the best tune or live show while their favorite musician sings away.

So where is this all going? While I think that streaming live shows or having live chats with your favorite artists is veeery far away from replacing the actual event, I hope that it doesn’t deter people from going out and actually experiencing the music. I had someone remark recently that they were much happier watching Lady Gaga from the comforts of their home with their XL TV screen and surround sound than they would have been seeing the spectacle from a distance dealing with the crowds and the traffic. All this live streaming of major concert festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza has allowed many people from all over the world to “attend” these events, but I’ve heard from avid concert goers that they now feel they never need to go to a festival again. Remarks like these concern me…

Another thing I’m unsure about is the new trend of having artist charge money for a “private” live show via the computer. Tickets for an online event? Really? Hrrrmm….  While I feel that this venue is great for getting the word out the about who you are and what you do, and I appreciate the artists’ ingenuity in finding a way to use technological advances to make money, I know I’m certainly not at the point where I’d be willing to pay for such an experience. I think asking for donations or whatnot is great, but I hope I never find myself wanting to buy a ticket for an online show.  I just see this going down a terrifying path into the depths of the haunted woods; dark shadows, spooky sounds, etc. etc. Maybe when I’m once again living in a music wasteland or in another year when selling tickets for online shows becomes the norm, I’ll change my tune, but for now, call me unnerved.

 

As long as it’s free and easy, however, I think I’m becoming a fan of these live events. While I would much prefer Empries’ front man, Sean Van Vleet, singing in my face and getting the opportunity to have a brief one-on-one conversation with guitarist/producer, Max Steger, after a show, I’d take this over nothing at all. Especially considering that the band is from Chicago and does not travel out to Los Angeles that often. I’m getting to hear new songs, I know which band member likes The Smashing Pumpkins and which considers himself a diamond…who likes to answer ridiculous questions and really who just wants to be out on the road…I find myself wishing more of my favorite bands, especially those stuck in distant cities, would do things like this (Philly bands do you hear me?).

While I’m still getting to know what sites are best for streaming and which bands put on the most ridiculous shows, here are a couple on my radar. I’m hoping to use this as another new way to both promote and discover great new music! Let me know if you have any suggestions…

 

Sites that offer live streaming:

http://www.audiotreemusic.com/audiotree_live.html (where I just watched the Empires set)

http://www.vokle.com/ (where Tony and Matt conducted their chat with the help of Rockridge Music)

http://www.facebook.com/GeorgeStanfordMusic?sk=app_142371818162 Livestream where George Stanford plays some Sunday afternoons at 3pm

http://www.ustream.tv/ (where Chris Wilson of Endoxi hosts his Wilson Wednesdays: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wilson-s-room#utm_campaign=www.facebook.com&utm_source=8134646&utm_medium=social

http://www.justin.tv/ (where I was once caught singing back up on stage…thinking it was just to the friends I had in the small room…ha)
ALSO where San Diego music guru Lauren Scheff (ScheffXP) often streams. Monday nights with the incredibly entertaining Kevin Martin. (http://www.justin.tv/scheffxp)

 

~ Kristen

 

because I couldn’t resist:

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 3/28-4/3

Posted on by Kristen

Just got back from Saint Rocke where we experienced a most excellent evening of music. Justin Hopkins lead a mildly chaotic yet thoroughly enjoyable songwriters in the round featuring several artists (whose names I’ve sadly mostly forgotten). Justin himself played only a few songs, although I wish he could have done more. At one point, he brought up a 10-year-old girl who was an incredibly talented guitar player and songwriter. Keaton Simons also made an appearance and took part in several impromptu jam sessions after singing a few of his own tunes including a brand new one he claimed he just wrote yesterday.

 

The headliner of the evening was the incredibly entertaining Wakey!Wakey! Between the fun tunes and the funny banter, my cheeks still hurt from all the smiling and laughing. Seriously, if you’ve never been in a “conversation” with Wakey!Wakey! frontman, Mike Grubbs, you cannot fully appreciate the full spectrum of his talent. And speaking of talent, I should mention the violinist whose accompaniment elevated each song to a level of mesmerizing despite the fact that she had a cut on her finger.

 

It was a fantastic way to begin the week. Hopefully the rest of my schedule this week will be equally or more enjoyable. Check out my list:

 

Monday: Honeyhoney at Bootleg Theater (10:30)
ALSO: Sabrosa Purr at The Viper Room (10:15)
ALSO: Chris Robinson Brotherhood at The Echoplex (8:30)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm)

 

Tuesday: Brian Wright at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)…record release show…and after what I heard at SXSW this would be my top pick of the week!
ALSO: The Canyons and Satellite at Molly Malone’s (8,9)
ALSO: Stop Motion Poetry at Room 5 (9pm)

 

Weds: Queen Caveat and Imagine Dragons at The Viper Room (8,9)
ALSO: Semi Precious Weapons at On the Rox (10pm)…the last of their Empire residency shows before they head off to re-join Lady Gaga
ALSO: Laura Jansen at The Hotel Cafe (10:30)

 

Thursday: Ringside at The Roxy (10pm)
ALSO: Ari Hest at The Hotel Cafe (9:30)

 

Friday: Bird by Bird at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Viza at The Troubadour (11:30)
ALSO: Brendan James and Matt White at The Hotel Cafe (8,9)
ALSO: J. Scott Bergman at Molly Malone’s (8pm)

 

Saturday: Tyler Hilton at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Northstar Session at Molly Malone’s (10pm)…album release

 

Sunday: day of rest…until something inevitably comes along…

 

To Keep in Mind:
April 6th: Andy Clockwise and The Silent Comedy at The Troubadour
April 10th: Milk Carton Kids at The Hotel Cafe
April 11th: Chris Robinson Brotherhood at The Echoplex
April 15th: Scarlet Grey at The Roxy
April 16th: Matt Wertz and Ben Rector at The Troubadour
April 20th: Ellie Goulding at The Music Box
April 22nd: Purple Melon at The Roxy
April 25th: Airborne Toxic Event at The Satellite
April 25th: The Head & The Heart at The Troubadour
May 4th: The Pipettes at The Satellite
May 7th: The Silent Comedy at The Roxy
May 15th: Eisley at The Troubadour
May 27th: The Script at Club Nokia
June 2nd: Manchester Orchestra at The Music Box
June 9-12: Bonnaroo!!!
June 13th: Florence and The Machine at The Greek Theater
September 22-24: Hotel Carolina
June 29th: Brooke Fraser at The Music Box

~ Kristen

 

“Bad Romance”: Covered

Posted on by Kristen

I’m not a huge fan of this song, but it seems to be getting a lot of coverage lately….I’ve largely been ignoring the omnipresence of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance, but when my roommate sent me a video of Joseph Gordon-Levitt singing the tune, I decided it was time to take notice. He does add an air of intelligence to the tune, pointing out the Hitchcock references and killing the lines sung in french…a part skipped over in many of the covers.

There are several admirable versons of “Bad Romance” done by artists I enjoy. Both Lissie and 30 Seconds to Mars choose to slow down the tempo and bring out the sexiness of the song.

I was most impressed by the cover done by Paramore’s Hayley Williams. I feel she really makes the song her own…and she uses it to actually show off her vocal skills (plus she keeps it nice and short)!

But my favorite rendition of the song has to be the one done by Jealousy Curve. The quality of the video is not the best, but they performanced “Bad Romance” along with their song “Black Widow” back in Feburary in Boston. Watching this video was probably the first time I actually listened to the song…

I’m sure that is just the tip of the iceberg as far as covers are concerned…I still can’t get over how popular the song is. Perhaps beaten out only by Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody” as most covered song of the moment. For more on that, check out Stereogum’s recent posting. Seriously, it includes a Tyler Hilton version…

Enjoy!

~ Kristen

Warped Tour Pomona

Posted on by Kristen

About a week ago, Amanda and I ventured to Pomona for Warped Tour #2. I’m so glad I went, mostly because it was another excuse to rock out with After Midnight Project, who, by the way, are coming home to LA to play the Key Club September 4th (get your tickets now!).

One of the best parts of Warped Tour Pomona, was the fact that After Midnight Project was able to do an acoustic set. The following video isn’t from Pomona, but AMP have been doing several acoustic sets, including one at the KIA tent that was captured and showcased here. I love it when rock bands break it down acoustically, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a band do it as well as After Midnight Project…

Other highlights for me included actually being able to see Mayday Parade, hearing some of You Me At Six’s  new songs, and being able to sample several new bands. Amanda was a big fan of Dicso Curtis who gave me a new appreciation for Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” and certainly put forth the happiest performance of the day (seriously, try to watch the band play and not smile).

Personally, I was enraptured by the Arkansas-based Deas Vail, whose soaring vocals, subtle harmonies, and piano base drew me in like a moth to a flame. I was literally walking past their stage to go elsewhere when I heard the music and HAD to stop. I kept trying to leave, but I just couldn’t…it was too beautiful to look away.

I recognized the name of the band, not because they were openers for the Owl City/Lights tour that I really wanted to see, but because I had at one point told myself NOT to like the band as they won a competition to get their video on MTVU, beating my beloved Carney. Funny how these things work sometimes…

Here’s that video:

And here’s the song that hooked me: Birds

~ Kristen

p.s. pictures to come…

Fall in love with Ferras

Posted on by Kristen

I don’t tend to download via ITunes (or any similar site) because honestly, I like having the actual CD complete with CD booklet. But yesterday, I finally redeemed this ITunes gift certificate someone gave me for my birthday several months ago. I had been eyeing the other Biffy Clyro CDs for some time now so I got their second “most popular” CD, Puzzle. I had $5 left over so I was going to surf the ITunes universe to find something completely new to try…but then, as I was cruising my traditional websites I stumbled upon the realization that one of my favorite artists, Ferras, had realized some new material in the form of an EP titled Interim.

So much for discovering some new music…I put the remainder of my gift certificate to use and downloaded the EP. I’ve been listening to Ferras nonstop all day. The new EP, the old CD, Aliens & Rainbows, YouTube videos of nonrecorded Ferras originals and covers….I just can’t get enough!  

The emotion that Ferras can elicit between his gorgeous voice and the delicate touch of the piano is reason enough to check him out, but he’s also an incredibly captivating person. The few times a year he decides to come out and play at The Hotel Cafe are not to be missed…especially since most of my favorite of his songs have not been recorded and you never know what cover he’ll pull out of his hat. This is the man that actually got me to listen to Lady Gaga after he did a cover of her song, “Paparazzi”.

Anyway, since I seem to be in obsession mode here, I thought I’d share some videos…

Listen! Learn! LOVE!

~ Kristen

A song he finally recorded on Interim:

A song he wrote and performed with Katy Perry:

Pure awesomeness (from the last time I saw him play):